


Shadows

by StarrySkied_Hunter



Series: Impossible Science Stuff [2]
Category: Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort, Darkness, M/M, Panic Attacks, Vent Writing, daniel's panic attack is going to basically mirror my panics, freaked the fuck out in a resturant, i had like a panicky sort of thing today, i still feel weird and out of it, im sorry this is probably gonna be hella sad, im venting through these two, sequel type thing to Music To My Ears, ugh ugh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-15 22:59:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7242304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarrySkied_Hunter/pseuds/StarrySkied_Hunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel and Wilson have grown to trust one another in their new lives, have learned to rely closely on the other for support and to help one another as they struggle for a way out.<br/>What happens though, when a trip into a cave leaves them separated in the worst kind of way?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shadows

The crash was a death toll, a violent wake up call that reminded both of them that they were not safe in the slightest.

Daniel questioned, for the fifth time in the last two seconds, why he had decided this was a good idea. Wilson had told him that there was a cave, he was going to go mining and "You can come too, if you want to, you don't have to though, if you think it'll be too dark." Normally he would have backed off completely from the idea of going somewhere even remotely dark, but now it felt like he had something to prove, so he'd said yes and Wilson had seemed half worried and half relieved by this. The two had set out once Wilson was sure the Night creature thing was gone, and they'd descended into the cave system.

It had been uneventful for the first half-hour or so. Wilson mined what they needed, and Daniel made himself useful by mining out what he understood was needed. He'd been following a metal vein when the worst possible thing had happened.

He'd heard the rocks shift, heard a shout of warning from Wilson, half fear, half alarm, but before Daniel even had enough time to react, the passageway caved in with a reverberating crashing noise that shook Daniel to his very core. He scrambled out of the way with a cry, throwing his hands over his head to protect himself.

When the dust finally settled, Daniel straightened to inspect what had happened. The passage had caved in, but - to his horror - it had also separated him and Wilson. The worst part was that Daniel couldn't hear him. not yet. He grabbed the lantern, still glowing, and ran to the wall, leaning against it.

There he heard the voice, the panicked _clang_ of a pickaxe being used with wild abandon. It hurt to imagine the expression on Wilson's face right now. Daniel wasn't sure he looked much better. He pressed his hands against the rocks, grabbing at spaces between in a panicked effort to remove the barrier. The rocks refused to budge.

"Daniel! Daniel!" Panic, he sounded so scared. "Daniel, oh God don't you dare have died! I'll kick your ath if you're dead!"

"I'm fine-!" No, lie, he was not fine, but he had found a point in the rocks where they could hear each other without screaming. "I'll survive, Wilson-"

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?!"

"I'm not injured, no. You warned me in time for that." Daniel shook his head. "Don't hit the rocks without a plan. It'll waste the durability."

"But-"

"Form a plan. I will still be here. There's no exit I can see, and I'm not too keen on going off in the dark."

That earned him quiet for several seconds, in which Daniel could almost hear the gears turning in Wilson's head, despite not being able to see him. Daniel prayed he wouldn't fight back, not now, they had too few resources for Wilson to run around wasting pickaxes.

"Fine." He finally heard, it sounded like anger that was barely controlled by fear. "Don't you dare go anywhere, Daniel. Do you underthand?"

"I wouldn't dream of it." Daniel promised.

He heard what sounded like running footsteps, then silence.

Daniel slid down the uneven wall to sit on the floor of the cave. The lantern was in front of him, banishing the darkness in a small circular pool of light. He curled up, holding his knees to his chest.

The cave was uncomfortably quiet, save the sounds of dripping water that occasionally interrupted the silence. Daniel felt something inside him change. The lantern flickered.

It started in his chest first, a careful kind of tightness, not yet a problem, but enough that it seemed off. He swallowed thickly against his throat, eyes scanning the void in front of him and trying his best not to recall his first interaction with the Orb. That would make things very much worse.

He felt slightly lightheaded too, not the drain of sanity which he was familiar with, but a very different kind of lightheadedness that frightened him. Once that processed, his breathing picked up, slowly. This he recognized. This was panic, but he wasn't used to this slow burning, the careful buildup that left him feeling helpless to his own body's fear. This was nothing like the immediate, adrenaline-infused panic of being plunged into pure darkness. This was something very very different.

He felt nauseous, chest constricted now. Breathing was harder, faster, more ragged. His body felt strangely disconnected, like it should be shaking but it wasn't, like the actual fingers were desensitized. It took him several tries to get a grip on the lantern and pull it towards himself.

It came in waves, the panic. It never calmed past tight chest and shaky hands, but sometimes the breathing would be less fast, more gaspy. There was no adrenaline here, or maybe there was, but the way it was burning was what really scared him.

This burn continued for what felt like hours, or days. He wasn't sure, he just wanted it to _stop,_ please God let it _stop_.

Finally, _finally_ he heard footsteps, heard Wilson calling his name to make sure he was still there. Daniel replied in confirmation, but he could hear a trembling edge to his voice that he was sure Wilson picked up on.

"Okay, Daniel I need you to get away from the wall." Wilson sounded like he was trying to disguise panic.

"W-What? Why?" Thank God he still had rational thought besides this panic.

"I'm going to try and blow it up." Wilson stated, Daniel could hear the desperation in his voice. "I don't want you to get caught in the blatht radiuth."

"A-Are you sure that's a wise course of a-action?" Daniel felt his voice crack. He moved away from the wall anyway though, he'd learned by now that Wilson didn't really seem to care whether or not it was wise at the given moment if he was scared.

"It'th the fathetht!" Wilson yelled. Daniel covered his head, scrambling down the passage into a little nook in the wall.

The lantern blew out.

The slow panicked burn swelled and crashed into full blown terror. Daniel clapped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from screaming. The shadows were closing in, closer closer, they would take him, he would be lost to the world, he'd never see Hazel or anyone again-

The shadows were momentarily broken by a huge explosion, which startled Daniel badly enough that he actually did scream.

Light spilled into the cavern, over Daniel's shaking form that was failing to come down from the panicked rush of darkness. He felt dizzy.

He was dimly and shakily aware of someone nearby, who gently grabbed him, steadied him, but God it was just too much, everything right now was just too much. Daniel stumbled, struggled with his body for a brief second, then blacked out.

* * *

 

Shadows chased him to consciousness, drawing a muffled scream of fear.

Daniel jolted to a seated position, scrabbling at his chest in utter terror. Everything, too much, too much-

Something cold was rested against his forehead, and a hand came to the nape of his neck to support his head. The sudden shock of the temperature change startled him out of his panicked state and into slow, shaky breathing. He was shaking, he could feel every part of him trembling gently.

The camp. He was at the camp. Firelight, their small blockades. Familiar. Daniel felt his panic recede into exhaustion.

"Daniel?" Wilson's voice was soft, gentle, a far cry from his usual gruff demeanor. It was an odd but not unwelcome change, especially now.

He attempted to speak but only managed a shaky whimpering noise.

Wilson was very very gentle with him. He removed the ice pack and gently wrapped Daniel in a blanket, watching his body for any adverse reactions. Daniel simply pulled the blanket tighter, forcing himself to breathe slowly. It was quiet for several minutes.

Wilson was in front of him, blue eyes scanning Daniel's face in concern. "Are you okay? You don't need to thpeak. Jutht nod or thake your head."

Daniel exhaled weakly and after a second, hesitantly nodded. Wilson scooted forward carefully and wrapped Daniel up in a hug.

The pure affection of the action caught Daniel off guard, enough that he didn't move for a second, and when he did move to return the hug, emotion swelled, constricted, and he was crying.

Wilson didn't say anything but pulled him closer, rubbing Daniel's back gently to soothe him. The tears refused to stop coming, Daniel was shaking still, inhaling in wet, heavy gasping sobs. He hated this, hated darkness and the helplessness he felt when anything wasn't lit up like a God-damned Christmas tree.

Wilson pulled back and gently cradled his face with one hand. Daniel leaned his head in the direction and closed his eyes, feeling Wilson's thumb wipe away at tears as they formed.

"You're a terrible liar, Daniel." Wilson said softly.

"You cannot fault me for trying." Daniel replied faintly, opening his eyes.

The two were silent for a few minutes, simply watching the other. Daniel let himself fade, lose himself in the familiar blue. It wasn't like the shadows, not at all. Losing himself in the blue of Wilson's eyes came with some silent understanding that he would retain all he was, a dot of difference in a sea of familiarity.

"Do you want to thleep with me?" Wilson asked abruptly.

"What?" Daniel blinked, again caught off guard as the question refocused him.

"Do you want to thleep with me?" Wilson repeated, a blush scattering across his cheeks as he glanced away.

"... I'd love to." Daniel answered softly after a second of stunned silence.

The little smile Wilson made sealed Daniel's choice. He smiled too.

Wilson pulled their bedrolls together and they both settled down comfortably. Summer was coming slowly, making everything a bit too warm.

After a silent moment they both stripped any clothing covering their torsos.

Every communication was silent, but understood, and comfortable. Daniel tucked himself against Wilson, relaxing when he felt an arm snake around him, resting just above his stomach.

Daniel had a funny feeling this would happen _much_ more often.


End file.
